2.5 Million Jobs by 2030 in Pharma, Healthcare as Sector Shifts to Skill-Led Growth: Report

The country's healthcare and pharmaceutical sector is moving into a capability-led growth phase, with hiring increasingly focused on specialisation and technology integration across hospitals, AYUSH, home and elder care, pharma, life sciences, diagnostics, telemedicine, clinical research and public health systems, according to a report by Adecco India.

The insights and numbers presented in the report are derived from data collected from over 100 Adecco clients, supplemented with credible market research sources.

As demand continues to grow, the sector is expected to create over 2-2.5 million new jobs by 2030, with nearly 30-35 per cent of the workforce likely to undergo reskilling, reflecting a shift in how roles are defined across care delivery, research, and manufacturing, the report said.

This growth is closely linked to the sector's expanding economic footprint, which stood at 3.3 per cent of GDP in 2022 and is projected to reach 5 per cent by 2030, supported by clinical research activity, digital health adoption, and the continued global outsourcing of pharmaceutical development and manufacturing.

Diagnostics, preventive healthcare, and telemedicine are also expected to drive an estimated 20-25 per cent increase in demand for distributed and remote care roles, particularly across tier II and III markets.

Hiring for advanced R&D and regulatory roles is expected to increase by 25-30 per cent, aligning with a shift towards complex generics, speciality therapies, and biologics.

"Employers are also facing a dual challenge of volume shortages in core healthcare roles and capability gaps in specialised talent, making skill development, retention, and geographic distribution a critical workforce priority," Adecco India Associate Director and Head of Sales - Permanent Recruitment, Peush Saproo, said.

While 65-70 per cent of hiring remains concentrated across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi-NCR, there is a gradual increase in hiring activity across tier II and III locations, such as Pune, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore, supported by expansion in hospital networks, manufacturing clusters, and distributed delivery models, he added.

Saproo further said that over the next 5-7 years, hiring in healthcare and pharma will be shaped by India's emergence as a global talent supplier, with an estimated 25-30 per cent increase in overseas demand for healthcare professionals across key markets, such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the UK, and other developed regions.

"As this shift accelerates, demand for hybrid, tech-enabled roles combining clinical and digital capabilities will continue to rise, prompting organisations to adopt more strategic workforce planning with a stronger focus on capability building, retention, and accessing talent beyond traditional metro hubs," Saproo added.